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Now Johansen’s contract is up and as a restricted free agent, he has reportedly been offered a “bridge” contract of two or three years by the Blue Jackets. He would still be an RFA when that hypothetical deal runs out. Johansen, a big scoring center that possesses the types of traits most teams want in a No. 1 pivot, would prefer a long-term deal that takes him to unrestricted free agency and that’s where the stalemate comes in.

“I’ve earned more than a two- or three-year deal with my play,” Johansen said. “It seems a little disrespectful, to be honest. I want to play in Columbus, and I want to be a Blue Jacket, but I want to get this done. It seems like a slap in the face.”